Commento su Genesi 26:5

שמע אברהם בקלי ABRAHAM HEARKENED TO MY VOICE when I put him to the test.

AND HE KEPT MY CHARGE. Rashi comments: “As a reward that Abraham hearkened to My voice when I tested him. And he kept My charge — these are the precautionary decrees instituted by the Sages, which are intended to make us avoid the violation of Biblical laws, such as Second Degrees of forbidden marriages and certain prohibited acts on the Sabbath. My commandments — these are precepts which, had they not been written in the Torah, were requisite to have been written, such as robbery and murder. My statutes — these are matters against which the evil inclination and the heathen nations argue, such as the prohibitions against eating the swine and the wearing of garments woven of wool and linen, there being no apparent rationale for them except that they are decrees of the King imposed on His subjects. And My laws — the plural is intended to include, [besides the Written Law], the Oral Law as well as those rules given to Moses from Sinai.” [Thus far the words of Rashi.]
Now if so, all this interpretation is posited on the opinion that Abraham fulfilled and observed the Torah before it was given on Sinai. This is indeed what the Sages of the Midrash said in connection with the verse, And Joseph gave them ‘agaloth’ (wagons),¹³⁶Ibid., 45:21. The word agaloth (wagons) may also mean “heifers,” thus suggesting that as a mark of identification to his father, Joseph gave his brothers a reference to the law of the Heifer (Deuteronomy 21:6) which he studied with his father just before he became separated from him. The Midrash referred to is in Bereshith Rabbah 95:2. thereby indicating to his father that when he left him they were studying the section dealing with Eglah Arufah.¹³⁷See Deuteronomy 21:1-9. Thus Joseph occupied himself with Torah just as his fathers did. Though the Torah had not yet been given, it is still written of Abraham, And he kept My charge, My commandments, My statutes, and My laws.¹³⁸Thus far the Midrash in Bereshith Rabbah, 95:2. There the Sages also said¹³⁹Bereshith Rabbah, ibid. that Abraham observed the details of the Torah, which he taught to his children, etc.¹⁴⁰To his children, as it is said, For I know him that he will command his children and his household after him, etc. (Above, 18:19.) Bereshith Rabbah, ibid.
The question presents itself: If it be the case [that the laws of the Torah were observed by our ancestors before the Torah was given on Sinai], how did Jacob erect a pillar¹⁴¹Further, 28:18. This is forbidden in Deuteronomy 16:22. and marry two sisters in their lifetime,¹⁴²Forbidden in Leviticus 18:18. and, in the opinion of our Rabbis, four sisters.¹⁴³According to Bereshith Rabbah 74:11, Bilhah and Zilpah were also daughters of Laban. Thus Jacob married four sisters: Leah, Rachel, Bilhah and Zilpah. Also, Amram [Moses’ father] married his aunt,¹⁴⁴Exodus 6:20. and Moses our teacher erected twelve pillars.¹⁴⁵Ibid., 24:4. How then was it possible that they should be permissive in matters of Torah which Abraham their ancestor had prohibited on himself, and for which G-d appointed him reward, when he [Abraham] was wont to command his children and his household after him¹⁴⁶Above, 18:19. to walk in His ways? In the case of Jacob the Sages taught that he observed the Sabbath and established borders for Sabbath distances.¹⁴⁷Bereshith Rabbah 79:7. In this matter of the Sabbath it is possible though that Jacob observed it because it is equal in importance to the entire Torah since it testifies to the act of Creation.
Perhaps then we should say that My charge refers to the Second Degree of marriages which were forbidden to the Sons of Noah;¹⁴⁸See Seder Bereshith, Note 222, and Seder Vayishlach, Note 148. My commandments applies to robbery and murder; My statutes refers to the laws against eating a limb torn off from a live animal, as well as breeding mixed kinds of cattle or grafting together different species of trees; and My laws refer to civil statutes and the prohibitions against idol worship. The Sons of Noah were commanded concerning all of these matters, and Abraham observed and fulfilled the Will of his Creator, observing even the details and the strictures of their commandments, even as the Sages mentioned: “The tractate of idolatry of our father Abraham contained four hundred chapters.”¹⁴⁹Abodah Zarah 14b. They further expounded [on the verse referring to Isaac, which says], And he found in that year a hundredfold,¹⁵⁰Further, Verse 12. that he measured the produce for the purpose of tithing,¹⁵¹Bereshith Rabbah 64:6. since the patriarchs were the generous ones of the peoples,¹⁵²Psalms 47:10. giving tithes to the poor or the priests of G-d, such as Shem and Eber and their disciples, just as it is said, And he was a priest of the most high G-d.¹⁵³Above, 14:18. Reference is to Melchizedek, whom tradition identifies as Shem, the son of Noah. See Ramban, ibid.
Now it appears to me from a study of the opinions of our Rabbis that Abraham our father learned the entire Torah by Ruach Hakodesh¹⁵⁴See Note 90. and occupied himself with its study and the reason for its commandments and its secrets, and he observed it in its entirety as “one who is not commanded but nevertheless observes it.”¹⁵⁵The concept of “one who is not commanded but observes” is found in the Talmud (Kiddushin 31 a). His reward is less than that of “one who is commanded and observes.” (Ibid.) The reason for it, as explained in Tosafoth, is that he who is commanded to do a certain mitzvah (commandment) is under tension lest he might not properly fulfill it, while he who is not commanded therein has no responsibility in the matter and may leave it at his will. Consequently, his reward is less. Furthermore, his observance of the Torah applied only in the Land of Israel, whereas Jacob married two sisters only when outside the Land,¹⁵⁶See Leviticus 18:25 where Ramban extends the explanation further by saying that the reason Rachel died as they entered the Land of Israel (35:16-19) was that she was the sister whom Jacob married last. and similarly with Amram who married his aunt. For the Commandments are the ordinance of the G-d of the land,¹⁵⁷II Kings 17:26. even though we have been charged with personal duties in all places. Our Rabbis have already alluded to this secret, and I will yet call your attention to it with the help of G-d.¹⁵⁸See Ramban on Leviticus 18:25. And the matter of the erection of the pillar [by Jacob and Moses referred to above] was a commandment that was innovated at a certain time, as the Sages expounded from the verse, “Neither shalt thou set up a pillar which the Eternal thy G-d hateth,¹⁵⁹Deuteronomy 16:22. He hated it although it was pleasing to Him in the days of the ancestors.”¹⁶⁰Ibid., Sifre. The reason for the change being that the Canaanites afterward had made it an ordinance of idol worship. And with respect to Joseph concerning whom the Sages expounded that he observed the Sabbath even in Egypt,¹⁶¹Bereshith Rabbah 92:4. it was because it is equal in importance to all the commandments, constituting, as it does, a testimony to Creatio ex nihilo.¹⁶²In Hebrew, chiddush (new), thus implying that G-d created a new world out of an absolute void. Therefore Joseph would do so in order to teach his children faith in the Creation of the world, to remove from their hearts the false doctrine of idolatry and the opinion of the Egyptians. This then is the intent [of the Sages when speaking of the patriarchs and their children observing the Torah].
In accordance with the literal meaning of Scripture, you may say that My charge means faith in the Deity, implying that Abraham believed in the unique Divine Name and kept vigilant guard over it in his heart, differing thereby with the worshippers of idols, and calling by the name of the Eternal to bring many to His worship. My commandments refers to all that G-d commanded Abraham: Go out of thy land,¹⁶³Above, 12:1. the bringing of his son as a burnt-offering, and the expulsion of the maid-servant and her son.¹⁶⁴Ibid., 21:12. My statutes refers to walking in the paths of G-d by being gracious and merciful, doing righteousness and judgment,¹⁶⁵See Maimonides, “The Commandments,” Vol. I, pp. 11-12 Soncino edit. Positive Commandment 8. and commanding his children and his household concerning them.¹⁶⁶Above, 18:19. And My Laws refers to the circumcision of Abraham himself and his sons and his servants, as well as all Commandments of the Sons of Noah¹⁴⁸See Seder Bereshith, Note 222, and Seder Vayishlach, Note 148. which constitute their Law.

בקולי , a reference to the binding of Yitzchok where the Torah had used the expression (22,18) עקב אשר שמעת בקולי, “as a consequence of your heeding My instructions.

עקב אשר שמע אברהם בקולי, in accordance with all that I commanded him;

שמע אברהם בקולי, "Abraham hearkened to My voice." He successfully passed all the tests I subjected him to; וישמור משמרתי, he was careful not to transgress anything l had commanded him even unintentionally, through momentary carelessness. וחוקותי, these are the commandments that appear to be without logical foundations. תורתי, "he studied My commandments in order not to forget them," just as Moses commanded Israel in Deut. 4,9.

עקב אשר שמע אברהם, the reason why I have given him the land is because he heeded my voice even to the extent of offering his only son as a burnt-offering.

עקב אשר שמע אברהם בקולי וישמר משמרתי, “as a result of Avraham heeding My instructions and observing My directives.” Rashi understands the word בקולי as referring to such instructions as offering his son as a sacrifice, whereas the word משמרתי is supposed to refer to rules governing incest with blood relations of the second tier of relatives, and such rules as adding a few minutes to the Sabbath before it actually begins, and similar Rabbinic prohibitions ensuring the sanctity of the Sabbath will not be violated inadvertently, i.e. שבות. Nachmanides queries this, writing that if it were correct, then, if indeed Avraham kept not only the 613 commandments but also Rabbinic regulations, how could Yaakov have been allowed to marry two sisters while both were alive? How could he have erected a מצבה, seeing that the Torah prohibits the erecting of such monuments? How could Amram have married his aunt Yocheved the daughter of Levi? If the fathers and grandfathers of these people had already adopted these Rabbinic rules, surely their children and grandchildren would have been obligated to observe them also? After all G’d specifically revealed certain aspects of His manner of meting out justice “in order that Avraham teach his descendants to emulate the ways of the Lord!?” (Genesis 18,19) One could answer that the word משמרתי refers to the 7 Noachide commandments, laws to which all of mankind is committed. and that the additional words חקות, refer to the prohibition of crossbreeding, and the word מצוותי to finer points of the law, as well as the word תורתי referring to the establishment of courts, the banning of idolatry, etc. The fact is that according to our sages, the wagons Joseph sent to transport his father on his journey to Egypt, were to symbolically remind his father that he had not forgotten the law of עגלה ערופה, the last lesson his father had instructed him in before his fateful journey to Shechem. (compare Deuteronomy 21,1-9) It is clear from what our sages have described that they all agreed that Avraham observed the Sabbath meticulously with all its details, as he had divined G’d’s intention through his holy spirit. However, he did so as something voluntary; He therefore observed these commandments revealed in the Torah later only while he was on Holy Soil, in the land of Israel. The statement that someone kept all the mitzvoth such as Joseph in Egypt, is most likely to be understood as Joseph observing the Sabbath, and thus observing the whole Torah, as in the parlance of our sages Sabbath observance is equivalent to observance of the entire Torah. From the perspective of the plain meaning of the text, the peshat, the word משמרתי refers to basic belief in the sole Creator, something that drove him to preach monotheism publicly, and to decry all forms of idolatry. He was the first “evangelist” preaching G’d’s attributes since Chanoch, emphasizing the benevolent nature of G’d, and His love for His creatures. The word מצותי refers to Avraham’s suppressing his own feelings when carrying out G’d’s command to offer his only son Yitzchok as a total burnt offering to this G’d.. He expelled his maidservant Hagar against his own better judgment, in order to comply with G’d’s orders. The word חוקותי refers to his emulating G’d’s attributes, being hospitable, charitable, etc, to the deserving and the not so deserving. Finally, the word תורותי, refers to his performing circumcision on himself and all members of his household, and teaching this rite as a condition of calling oneself a true descendant of Avraham.

עקב אשר שמע אברהם בקולי, "“because Avraham was obedient to Me.” This is the source of our sages in Nedarim 32 claiming that Avraham recognized his Maker when only three years old. He had lived for 175 years. When you add up the numerical value of the letters in the word עקב, you get 172. If you deduct this number from 175, the resulting number 3 is the number of years when Avraham was not yet obeying G’d’s commandments because he had not yet recognized Him as such.

To include the Oral Law — laws given by God to Moshe at Sinai. You might ask: Since they fulfilled the entire Torah, why did Yaakov marry two sisters, (and Shimon his sister Dinah), and Amram his aunt Yocheved? The answer is: They only accepted upon themselves to fulfill the mitzvos in the Land of Israel, but they were outside the Land [when these events occurred]. (Ramban)

עקב, siehe voriges Kap.Raw Hirsch on Genesis 26: 26. - שמר ,וישמר משמרתי die allgemeinste Bezeichnung dessen, was von uns hinsichtlich des uns von Gott übergebenen Gesetzes erwartet wird. Es ist uns ein anvertrauter Schatz, dem gegenüber wir שומרים sein sollen, den wir hüten und nach dem Willen des Eigners verwenden sollen, über den wir aber nicht nach eigenem Willen disponieren können.

עקב אשר שמע אברהם בקולי, “as a consequence of Avraham having listened to My voice;” a reference to the binding of Yitzchok. The same formulation occurs also in Genesis 22,18: עקב אשר שמעת בקולי, “(G-d to Avraham) “as a consequence of your having listened to My voice.”

וישמר משמרתי AND KEPT MY CHARGE — This refers to precautionary measures which are intended to make us avoid the infringement of Biblical prohibitions: such are the Rabbinical inhibition of marriage between relatives in the second degree and the Rabbinical regulations regarding not doing certain acts on the Sabbath (cf. Yevamot 21a).

וישמור משמרתי, a reference to the circumcision, where G’d had used this expression (את בריתי תשמור) describing the command in 17,9 to circumcise himself.

וישמור משמרתי, he also did the very things which I Myself am in the habit of doing, such as to perform deeds of loving kindness. (compare Psalms 25,10 כל ארחות ה' חסד ואמת, “all the paths of the Lord are love and truth, etc.”) Also, Avraham warned the potential sinners to improve their ways, something that is of utmost importance to Me. This is what he did every time the Torah records him as קרא בשם ה', “he proclaimed the name of the Lord.” He also observed My revealed commandments מצותי, חוקותי, ותורותי, “the seven laws I laid down for all of mankind.” As a result of all this, he did not only preach to his fellow man but he practiced what he preached. Due to his possessing this virtue he became a model human being for others to emulate. At this particular stage in Yitzchok’s life, G’d did favours to him which were the result of the merits of others, i.e. the merit of his father. This theme is repeated once more in verse 24 when the Torah attributes the promise of the increase in Yitzchok’s seed to the merit of Avraham, i.e.בעבור אברהם עבדי “for the sake of My servant Avraham.” Neither Yaakov nor Avraham had ever been told that G’d’s promises to them was on account of a third party’s merit. The reason G’d’s promises to Yitzchok had been due to other people’s merits was that at that time he had not yet emulated his father’s practice of proclaiming the name of G’d, i.e. calling his fellow man to improve their lifestyles and to abandon idolatry. Once Yitzchok had begun to do this we find that even an Avimelech is in awe of him and recognises that he is the recipient of G’d’s blessings in his own right. (compare verse 26, as well as verses 28-29. All this was due to the fact that in verse 25 he is reported as emulating his father, building an altar and proclaiming the name of the Lord. Yaakov, as opposed to his father Yitzchok, has been described as being a יושב אהלים from his earliest youth, i.e. devoting himself to promoting matters spiritual, studying as well as teaching in the academy of Shem and Ever, (primarily those of the seven Noachide commandments which regulate inter personal relations.)

משמרתי, מצותי, חוקותי, ותורותי, G’d included all the commandments, hinting that all the commandments, i.e. chukotai, contain elements of which the rationale has been revealed and some which have not. Even the seven Noachide laws, applicable universally, contain elements the reason for which has not ever been revealed to the people but whose rationale is familiar only to the wisest scholars. Examples of such commandments are: the prohibition of grafting or crossbreeding, eating (amputated) limbs of a living animal אבר מן החי. To describe such laws, the Torah here mentions the word חוקותי, “My statutes,” whereas the description מצותי refers to commandments which the human mind understands or even applauds. It matters not that these commandments be performed by different parts of the body, i.e. the mouth, the hands, or merely the heart. Similarly, it matters not whether they are positive commandments, requiring action, or negative commandments requiring self-restraint. Some commentators (compare Torah Shleymah 25) claim that Avraham was only 3 years old when he recognised the existence of G’d and began to worship him, so that the numerical value of the letters in the word עקב=172 would comprise the number of years which Avraham carried out G’d’s commandments. Other commentators place the time when Avraham became convinced of monotheism as the only religion as being when he had completed his fortieth year. (Bereshit Rabbah 30,8) This appears to be more probable. Our sages claim that Avraham observed all the commandments spelled out in the written and the oral Torah including such rabbinic ordinances as Eyruv Tavshilim (Yuma 28). They base this on the word משמרתי, seeing this word refers generally to the type of “security fence” סיג, introduced by the Rabbis to safeguard us against violating Biblical injunctions. What the rabbis meant therefore was that Avraham invented such safeguards for himself in order not to violate the basic prohibitions.

Die Pflicht des Hüters involviert zunächst zwei Tätigkeiten; 1) stete Auf- merksamkeit, das Anvertraute muss ihm immer präsent sein; daher die gewöhnliche Erläuterung: ת"כ) ושמרתם זו משנה an vielen Stellen): Hüten heißt Lernen, denn eben "Lernen" ist ja nichts als das stete Gegenwärtighalten des geoffenbarten göttlichen Willens in allen seinen Beziehungen. 2) Schutz: den Schatz mit solchen schützenden Veranstaltungen zu umgeben, dass er in seiner Integrität erhalten bleibe; daher jene jüdische Nationalgewissenhaftigkeit, die sich in der Selbstüberwachung durch תקנות und גזרות betätigt. Die Gewissenhaftigkeit, die sich nicht nur vor dem Unrecht, sondern auch vor allem hütet, was an das Unrecht grenzt und leicht zu ihm führt, hat auch Abraham betätigt. —

וישמור משמרתי, “he observed My commandments;” this is a reference to the commandment of circumcising himself which he immediately accepted as recorded in Genesis 7,10: 'זאת בריתי אשר תשמרו וגו, “this is My covenant that you are to observe;”

מצותי MY COMMANDMENTS — those matters which, had they not been written in the Torah, we would nevertheless hold that they are fitting matters to be the subject of a commandment, such as robbery and murder (cf. Yoma 67b).

מצותי, the command to perform circumcision when the baby is eight days old; as in 21,4.

צוה ,מצותי verwandt, wie schon Kap.2, 1 bemerkt, mit צבא: auf einen Posten stellen, wodurch der Wille des Befehlenden in weitesten Kreisen gleichsam durch seine Stellvertreter verwirklicht wird, und dadurch gleichsam dessen Persönlichkeit den weitesten Umfang (צבה) gewinnt, durch צַוֵה bildet er sich ein צבא. Daher מצות im engeren Sinne zunächst solche Aufträge, durch welche die göttlichen Zwecke des Rechts und der Milde, משפט וצדקה, die Gott in seiner Welt gepflegt wissen will, also die Pflichten der Gerechtigkeit, Barmherzigkeit, Milde, Liebe etc. zur Verwirklichung kommen.

מצותי, “My directive;” a reference to circumcision to be performed on the eighth day after the baby’s birth, as is recorded: וימל אברהם את יצחק בנו בן שמונת ימים כאשר צוה אותו אלוקים, “Avraham circumcised his son Yitzchok on the eighth day as G-d had commanded him.”

חקותי MY ORDINANCES — matters which our evil inclination and the heathen nations argue against the necessity of prohibiting, such as the eating of swine’s flesh and the wearing of garments made of a mixture of wool and linen — things for which there are no apparent reasons but which are the King’s decrees and enactments imposed on His subjects (Yoma 67b).

חוקותי ותורותי, basically these include all the laws known to mankind prior to the giving of the Torah, such as not murdering, not stealing, etc. They include virtues such as extending hospitality. At the time the Torah was revealed, these were renewed and elaborated on. At that time the covenant to keep these laws forever was concluded with the Jewish people.

חקותי von חקק‎ (siehe Jeschurun VIII. S. 436): die die sinnliche Willkür beschränkenden Normen, die Gesetze der Sittlichkeit und Heiligung des leiblichen Lebens תורתי, wie wir glauben, nicht von ירה, sondern von הרה, wie הוליך, vo;נהלך א הרה: ieinen Keim in sich aufnehmen, Hiphil הורה: einen Keim in jemanden legen, daher: den Keim des Wahren und Guten, den Keim des Geistigen und Sittlichen in den andern legen: lehren. תורתי somit: die von Gott geoffen- barten Lehren des Wahren und Guten, die von uns in Geist und Gemüt aufgenommen werden sollen, die Erkenntnis des Wahren und die Entschlüsse zum Guten zu erzeugen. מצוה ist die zu lösende Aufgabe, חוק schafft den zu dieser Lösung fähigen Menschen, תורה gibt die Erkenntnis dazu.

חקותי, “My statutes,” a reference to his commanding his children to continue the tradition he had commenced of circumcising himself, as is recorded: והיתה בריתי בבשרכם לברית עולם, ”My covenant shall be on your flesh as an eternalcovenant.” (17,13) Also compare Psalms 105,10: ויעמידיה ליעקב לחוק, “He confirmed it in a decree for Yaakov.”

ותורתי AND MY LAWS — The plural serves to include with the written Law also the Oral Law which prescribes commands that are an ancient institution given by God to Moses from Sinai (cf. Genesis Rabbah 64:4).

Es dürften die hier von Abraham bezeugten Pflichterfüllungen dem (1. B. M. 18, 19) ausgesprochenen Inhalte seiner Bestimmung parallel sein. מצותי entspricht dem חקתי ,עשות צדקה ומשפט ist das ׳שמר דרך ד׳ לעשות וגו, ist der Weg zu solcher Erfüllung, und תורתי ist das צוה את בניו ואת ביתו, die Belehrung und Erziehung zu solchem Leben. (Siehe daselbst.)

ותורותי, “and My teachings;” this is a reference to the beginning of chapter 12 where G-d instructs Avraham to leave home and to proceed to a land that He will show him. As proof that this interpretation is correct, the author quotes Psalms 32,8: אשכילך ואורך בדרך זו, “Let me enlighten you and show you which way to go.” [The subject speaking in that verse is the Holy Spirit. (Alshich) He quotes a similar verse from Psalms 32,8.] Whenever the word תורה occurs, it refers to teaching [as a prelude to commanding the listener to conduct himself in accordance with it.] But the plain sense of the verse is that it refers to the 7 universal laws that apply to all of mankind.